TOKYO 
Asian stock markets were mixed Thursday, as upheaval in European markets continued to reverberate around the globe, with continued fears the continent will be unable to quickly resolve its debt crisis.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average was off 0.6 percent at 10124.96, while Australia's main index fell 0.1 percent to 4384.6. Shares in Shanghai, Taiwan and New Zealand were also lower in early trade.

In Japan, major electronics names were among the biggest losers, with Toshiba Corp. down 3 percent and Hitachi Ltd., off 2.9 percent. Panasonic, Canon and Nintendo were also lower.

The mixed showing came after falls on Wall Street during Wednesday trade. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 135.28 points, or 1.3 percent, at 10,375.67, and the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 1.3 percent to 1,106.21.

Major European markets were also down sharply Wednesday, falling nearly 3 percent.

The latest downturn was triggered by Germany's unexpected announcement Tuesday that it had banned naked short selling, where traders bet against investments they don't hold. The sudden move was seen as another example of the disarray in Europe's financial system.

European leaders agreed last week to a nearly $1 trillion bailout program to help countries with debt problems, like Greece. Traders are also concerned that the strict financial measures tied to the bailout could curtail a rebound in stock prices.

In currencies, the yen fell slightly against the dollar, to 91.81 yen from 91.78 yen earlier in New York. The euro fell against the dollar, to $1.2346 from $1.2426. The euro had rebounded after hitting a four-year low on Tuesday.